Writing About Fiction Reading Microcredential

Writing About Fiction Reading Microcredential

Great fiction doesn't just get read, it gets written about. From close reading responses to literary analysis essays, the ability to write thoughtfully about fiction is a foundational skill for students as they move from elementary school to middle school and high school. And teaching it well requires more than assigning prompts.

Writing About Fiction Reading equips educators in grades 3-8 with the knowledge and instructional strategies to guide students through the unique demands of writing a response to fiction, such as developing a clear analytical lens to crafting evidence-grounded essays.

Drawing on current research in literacy instruction and the expertise of TC Advancing Literacy’s team of staff developers, this program explores how reading fiction invites particular ways of thinking, noticing, and writing; and how teachers can make those habits visible and explicit in their classrooms, ultimately supporting higher level comprehension and writing skills.

Participants leave with practical tools they can use immediately, ready to build a classroom culture where students don't just read great stories, they have something meaningful to say about them.

Learning Objectives for Full Microcredential (Microcourses 1 and 2)

• Understand the distinctive features of writing about fiction, including how literary analysis, personal response, and critical interpretation differ in purpose, structure, and craft
• Apply research-based strategies for scaffolding fiction response writing across grade levels and student readiness
• Use mentor texts and exemplar student writing to model strong analytical thinking and support student independence
• Design classroom routines and instructional sequences that build students' capacity to write about fiction with depth, specificity, and voice
• Develop effective feedback and conferring practices tailored to fiction response writing
• Explore assessment approaches that honor both the analytical and expressive dimensions of writing about fiction

Registration

Format:  Asynchronous Online Microcourses

Full Microcredential (Microcourses 1-2) Price:  $225 - a $25 bundle discount

For more information, questions or to register:  Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu

Please Note: This microcredential and its individual microcourses have rolling registration. Once registration is complete, learners will have 6 months to complete their chosen course(s).